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Search Strategies for EMBASE in Ovid Syntax
EMBASE
To develop search filters in EMBASE, we assembled a list of search terms and
phrases in a subset of EMBASE records matched with a hand search of the contents
of
55 of the 135 journals titles indexed in the year 2000. Search strategies
were developed using a 55-journal subset chosen based on those journals that had
the highest number of methodologically sound studies; that is, studies that clinicians
should be using when making patient care decisions. This selection enriches the
sample of target articles, improving the precision of estimates of search term performance
and simplifying data processing, but is unlikely to bias the estimates of the sensitivity
and specificity of search terms. Search strategies were treated
as “diagnostic tests” for sound studies and the manual review of the
literature was treated as the “gold standard”. 27,769 articles were
included in the analysis and 4,843 unique single-terms were tested.
For each purpose category (Therapy, Diagnosis,
Prognosis, Reviews,
Clinical Prediction Guide, Qualitative,
Causation [etiology], Economics),
the following data are shown: Maximized sensitivity, Maximized specificity, Best
balance of sensitivity and specificity .
In the second column of the table the search strategies are shown in Ovid syntax.
In the third column of the table: sens = sensitivity; spec = specificity; prec =
precision; acc = accuracy. References for the methods
and individual categories appear at the end of the document.
To view the search filters for
MEDLINE and PsycINFO,
please click on the appropriate link.To find out more about the Hedges Project click here.
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
random:.tw.
OR clinical trial:.mp.
OR exp health care quality
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99 / 72 / 14 / 73
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Maximizes specificity
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double-blind:.mp.
OR placebo:.tw.
OR blind:.tw.
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52 / 97 / 43 / 95
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
random:.tw.
OR placebo:.mp.
OR double-blind:.tw.
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95 / 93 / 38 / 93
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
di.fs.
OR predict:.tw.
OR specificity.tw.
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100 / 70 / 1 / 71
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Maximizes specificity
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specificity.tw.
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63 / 98 / 11 / 98
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
sensitiv:.tw.
OR diagnostic accuracy.sh.
OR diagnostic.tw.
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90 / 92 / 3 / 92
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
exp disease course
OR risk:.mp.
OR diagnos:.mp.
OR follow-up.mp.
OR ep.fs.
OR outcome.tw.
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99 / 51 / 1 / 51
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Maximizes specificty |
prognos:.tw.
OR survival.tw.
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51 / 93 / 4 / 93
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
follow-up.mp.
OR prognos:.tw.
OR ep.fs.
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80 / 80 / 2 / 80
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
exp methodology
OR search:.tw.
OR review.pt.
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95 / 64 / 2 / 64
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Maximizes specificity |
meta-analysis.tw.
OR systematic review.tw.
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61 / 99 / 41 / 99
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
meta-analys:.mp.
OR search:.tw.
OR review.pt.
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92 / 88 / 6 / 88
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Clinical Prediction
Guides - EMBASE
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
predict:.tw.
OR exp methodology
OR validat:.tw.
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97 / 74 / 1 / 74
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Maximizes specificity |
validation.tw.
OR prediction.tw.
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61 / 99 / 11 / 99
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
validat:.mp.
OR index.tw.
OR model.tw.
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91 / 90 / 2 / 90
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
interview:.tw.
OR qualitative.tw.
OR exp health care organization
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94 / 90 / 3 / 90
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Maximizes specificity |
qualitative.tw.
OR qualitative study.tw.
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57 / 100 / 34 / 100
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
interview:.tw.
OR exp health care organization
OR experiences.tw.
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90 / 90 / 3 / 90
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Causation (Etiology) - EMBASE
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
risk:.mp.
OR exp methodology
OR exp epidemiology
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92 / 61 / 2 / 61
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Maximizes specificity |
cohort.tw.
OR relative risk:.tw.
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53 / 95 / 7 / 9
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
risk.tw.
OR mortalit:.tw.
OR cohort.tw.
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82 / 81 / 3 / 81
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Filter type
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Ovid Filter
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Sens / spec / prec / acc (%)
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Maximizes sensitivity |
cost effectiveness analysis.sh.
OR randomized.tw.
OR economic.tw.
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100 / 92 / 1 / 92
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Maximizes specificity |
cost effectiveness.tw.
OR sensitivity analys:.tw.
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52 / 99 / 9 / 99
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Best balance of sensitivity and specificity |
cost.tw.
OR costs.tw.
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97 / 98 / 4 / 98
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References
Wilczynski NL, Haynes RB, for the Hedges Team. EMBASE
search strategies achieved high sensitivity and specificity for retrieving methodologically
sound systematic reviews. J Clin Epidemiol. 2007 Jan;60(1):29-33.
McKinlay RJ, Wilczynski NL, Haynes RB, and the Hedges Team. Optimal search strategies
for detecting cost and economic studies in EMBASE. BMC Health Services Research.
2006 Jun;6:67.
Free full text link:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/6/67
Wong SSL, Wilczynski NL, Haynes RB. Developing optimal search strategies for detecting
clinically sound treatment studies in EMBASE. J Med Libr Assoc. 2006
Jan;94(1)41-7.
Free full text link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1324770/?tool=pubmed
Walters LA, Wilczynski NL, Haynes RB, for the Hedges Team. Developing optimal search strategies for retrieving clinicallly relevant qualitative studies in EMBASE. Qual Health Res. 2006 Jan;16(1):162-8.
Wilczynski NL, Haynes RB; Hedges Team. EMBASE search strategies for identifying
methodologically sound diagnostic studies for use by clinicians and researchers.
BMC Med. 2005 Mar 29;3(1):7.
Free full text link: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1741-7015-3-7.pdf
Wilczynski NL, Haynes RB, for the Hedges Team. Optimal search strategies for
detecting clinically sound prognostic studies in EMBASE: an analytic survey.
J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2005 Jul-Aug;12(4):481-5.
Free full text link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1174893/?tool=pubmed
Haynes RB, Kastner M, Wilczynski NL; Hedges Team. Developing optimal search
strategies for detecting clinically sound and relevant causation studies in EMBASE.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2005 Mar 22;5(1):8.
Free full text link: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6947-5-8.pdf
Holland JL, Wilczynski NL, Haynes RB; Hedges Team. Optimal search strategies
for identifying sound clinical prediction studies in EMBASE. BMC Med
Inform Decis Mak. 2005 Apr 29;5(1):11.
Free full text link:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/5/11
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